ELYSBURG - One of my favorite movies of all time is the original version of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" starring Gene Wilder. The plot centers on five youngsters who find golden tickets that gain access to the secretive Wonka Candy Factory.
I felt like one of those youngsters Saturday when Stacy Ososkie, public relations director for Knoebels Amusement Resort, gave me the opportunity to be one of the first riders on the new Impulse roller coaster.
Not wanting to miss a "golden" opportunity like this, I headed up the steps to the station, waiting to climb aboard the eight-passenger car that transported me to 75 seconds of pure adrenaline.
An added treat was being placed in the same row of seats with park president Dick Knoebel and Brian Knoebel.
There was just a bit of apprehension on my part. While boarding roller coasters in some of the bigger parks, the locking mechanism on roller coaster seats don't always work well for guys my size. I joked about being a guinea pig for big people everywhere, but an attendant told me not to worry.
On the Impulse, each seat has its own individual lap bar, and I was able to fit in quite nicely and secure myself and my belongings. I remembered to take off my loose-fitting glasses - but this was because I didn't want them to fly off, not because I'm afraid to see what lies before me.
Once the attendants gave the OK sign, the ride operator pushed the button and we slowly made our way down the track and toward the ... first (oh my gracious)... hill.
The chain connected and the eight of us began to make our ascent. Unlike the Phoenix and Twister where the cars go up a gradual incline, the Impulse took us straight up a 90-degree incline. We could not see the track below us, only the sky coming toward us.
"How far yet, how far yet?" one rider said as Brian Knoebel smiles and jokes, "When are we gonna drop?"
Eventually, we did drop. At another 90-degree angle, for 98 feet.
It's a smaller drop than the 148-foot StratosFear ride at the park, but the difference is you are looking straight down at the ground that is coming faster and faster at you. A few twists and turns later, you begin preparations for the first time the coaster becomes inverted for a full 360-degree loop.
Another few twists and turns and we came to my favorite part of the entire ride - the corkscrew that takes you through the fourth time you are upside down.
For me, one of the best things about roller coasters is the feeling of flying out of the seat, much like the "whoop-de-doos" at the end of the Phoenix ride. My larger frame flew out of my seat four - yes, four - times, but the restraint system kept me and everyone else in place.
We returned to the station with all eight of us giving the ride a big round of applause. Dick looked at me and says, "I bet you could fill a whole edition writing about this coaster."
I probably could, but any words that I use can't do the experience justice, so I will simply say that anyone who has ever been a fan of roller coasters must put Impulse at the top of their list.
During the opening ceremonies, several mentions were made about the fourth generation of the Knoebel family bringing this ride to the park. After experiencing it firsthand, you have to believe the future of Knoebels looks mighty promising.